Before we start getting bids.

If there is anyone out there with any more patience to help with this final bit of hardscaping, I would appreciate your help.

We finally got the 3 patios poured in the fall and have been planting a lot this spring! ItâÂÂs soooo nice to see it all coming together.

We need to finish off the hardscaping by having additional steps to a lower level. Since we knew we didnâÂÂt want concrete for the steps, we figured weâÂÂd wait till now to finish things off.

Three options weâÂÂre down to are 8â wide steps going down approx. 30â to a lower level directly in the middle of the yard and main patio. Though weâÂÂd have to traverse around a 4â patio table, it seems the quickest and easiest route, while also the most expensive IâÂÂm sure. Concerns of âÂÂchoppingâ up the already shallow yard are of concern too.

The second option would be to traverse to the side approx. 35â to stairs to the lower level. This would be in the corner and would be able to be built much less expensive. On the opposite end of the backyard is a firepit area with steps from it going to the lower level. This would balance the steps out more but is substantially out of the way of the main path that would be taken to the lower level, especially considering weâÂÂd likely end up about where the 8â wide steps would have taken us, for about 70â round trip out of our way.

A third option would be just to do nothing and use the firepit area steps as they are now, which is approx. 35â the opposite direction of option 2. In some ways it seems if what we have now doesnâÂÂt quite work, the likelihood of using option 2 likely wonâÂÂt give us much other than possibly depositing us on the opposite end and possibly using that area of the lower level more.

All options (especially option 3 doing nothing) are within our budget. Is there anything that I might be missing and should consider? To completely finish installing plants we need to finalize a decision on this so weâÂÂre not yanking plants out down the line.

We still haven't gotten an updated pic of the overall backyard but hopefully this will help to better understand what I'm asking.

TIA

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